Coin holder



Nov. 26, 1968 G. l. SPADARO COIN HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1966 INVENTOR. GIORGIO LSPADARO A TTORNE Y5 Nov. 26, 1968 G. l. SPADARO COIN HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1966 8 Qmxkmwmwmmmma llllllllllllll%||l I lllll w w w 1 llllllllllllll q 5 w EL L fi 33w i 0 m M m A W m 1 m M a a. 5 w & mm

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,412,846 COIN HOLDER Giorgio I. Spadaro, 1322 Greenwood, Evanston, Ill. 60201 Filed Oct. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 584,392 Claims. (Cl. 206.83)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coin display case for holding a plurality of coins of different sizes. Opposing side walls of the case are notched at intervals, the notches receiving the ends of flexible transverse ribs which span the distance between the side walls. Spaced-apart projections are afiixed to each rib, the projections extending toward the coin holding area of the case. These projections engage with and retain the coin against movement, the projections being forced against the coin by the spring action of the outwardly bowed resilient ribs.

Background and summary of the invention This invention relates to arrangements for mounting coins and the like, and, more particularly, to an improved coin display case.

Conventional coin display cases are commonly provided with circular recesses, each of which receives an individual coin. Often, the recesses are cut into a layer of cardboard or the like and are sized such that the coin is a press fit into the recess. Unfortunately, such recesses are capable of securely holding only those coins for which they are designed. Consequently, display cases for unique collections of coins and for coins of rare sizes are not readily available.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an attractive coin display case capable of mounting an arbitrarily selected collection of coins of various sizes.

If the coins to be displayed are all of the same thickness, they may be clamped between a pair of transparent plates. This arrangement permits both sides of the coins to be easily inspected. Where the coins have diifering thicknesses, however, the thinner coins are not securely retained. Prior display cases have been devised which are capable ofretaining coins between transparent sheets. Included among these is the arrangement shown in my US. Patent 3,229,809 issued January 18, 1966 and in US. Patent 3,028,949 issued to J. I. Sohosky on Apr. 10, 1962. These arrangements, while effective for their intended purpose, are somewhat complicated and continue to be incapable of securely retaining a wide variety of coins.

It is accordingly a further object of the invention to simply and eflectively mount a set of coins of diflerent sizes between two transparent sheets.

In a principal aspect, the present invention takes the form of a new and improved coin display case capable of securely retaining coins of dilferent sizes. A pair of substantially parallel side walls are fixedly mounted on a rigid plate and bound two sides of a coin holding area. The remaining two sides of the coin holding area are defined by a pair of elongated, flexible, transverse ribs. The two ends of each of these ribs are adapted for insertion into the apertures in the side walls such that the ribs span the distance between the side walls. A pair of spaced apart projections are affixed to each of these ribs and extend into the coin holding area. The projections engage with and retain the coin against movement. A coin display case constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention has great flexibility in that 3,412,846 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 it is capable of securely retaining a wide variety of coins having different diameters and thicknesses.

Brief description of the drawings These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention may be more clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description. In the course of this description, reference will frequently be made to the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a simple coin holder embodying the principles of the invention shown with four coins inserted Within the holder;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the two transverse rib members employed in the coin holder shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view looking upward at the underside of the cover of the coin holder shown in FIGURE FIGURE 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the coin holder cover taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the bottom of the coin holder shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the base taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a coin display tray embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a side view partially in cross-section of the tray shown in FIGURE 7 taken along the line 88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a partial end view of the tray shown in FIGURES 7 and 8; and

FIGURE 10 is a partial view showing an alternative construction for a coin display tray.

Description of the preferred embodiments FIGURE 1 of the drawing shows a simple coin case capable of holding up to four coins. The case shown in FIGURE 1 is quite simple in construction and comprises a base section indicated generally at 12, a cover indicated generally at 14, and a pair of transverse ribs shown at 16 and 18. Each of these ribs, as shown separately in FIGURE 2, is flexible and includes a series of projections along one of its sides. The cover 14, the underside of which is shown in the plan view of FIGURE 3, includes a flange portion 19 which extends downwardly at an angle along one side of the coin case. The upper face 21 of the cover 14, as well as the rest of the cover, may be constructed of transparent plastic, or the like. The side walls attached to the plate 21, as well as the margins of plate 21 itself and the flange 19 of the cover, may be sandblasted to improve the appearance of the cover. A ridge 23 is positioned along one side of the cover 14 opposite a similar ridge 24 on base 12 to facilitate separation of the cover and base sections of the case.

The base section 12, as shown in the plan view of FIG- URE 5, comprises a rigid, transparent plate 26 and a recessed peripheral side wall 27. The interior of the opposing side walls 28 and 29 are provided with a plurality of recesses or notches 20. These notches receive the ends of the transverse ribs 16 and 18 as shown in FIGURE 1. Each of the ribs 16 and 18 is provided with four spaced apart projections or teeth as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. These projections extend into the coin holding area and, as clearly seen in FIGURE 1, engage with and retain the coins in a fixed position. Pressure is applied to the coins to hold them in position by the flexible ribs 16 and 18 which are bowed outwardly to receive the coins.

The principles of the invention may also be applied to a larger coin display unit as shown in FIGURES 7 through 10 of thedrawings. The plan view of FIGURE 7 shows a coin display tray constructed of a rigid plate indicated 3 generally at 30 provided with six longitudinal wall members 31 through 36, each of which extends substantially the entire length of the tray and is attached to the plate 30. Each of the fixed side wall members 31 through 36 is provided with a regular array of teeth to define the apertures into which the resilient retaining ribs are placed. A portion of the tray indicated generally at 39 extends beyond the toothed afiixed wall sections 31 through 36 to provide a convenient surface by which the tray may be grasped. The surface 39 is separated from the coin holding portion of the tray by a fixed, untoothed wall section 40. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the tray shown in FIGURE 7 may be molded in one piece or, alternatively, may be constructed by cementing the fixed wall sections 31 through 36 to the plate 30. FIGURE 8 of the drawings shows a side view of the tray of FIGURE 7 taken partially in section along the line 8-8. FIGURE 9 of the drawings illustrates a partial end section and shows a pair of bottom runners 41 which may be aflixed below selected ones of the fixed wall members 31 through 36. The runners 41 tend to prevent the undersurface of the transparent plate 30 from being scratched during use.

FIGURE 7 shows coins 50 through 56 securely mounted on the tray in accordance with the invention. The coin 50 is secured between the fixed, untoothed wall segment 40 and the resilient retaining rib 60. The large coin 51, having a diameter only slightly shorter than the distance between the walls 31 and 32, is retained between the bowed, resilient ribs 61 and 62. Coins 52 through 54, though of diminishing size, are retained in a similar manner. Coins 55 and 56 are retained by the resilient ribs 65 and 66 on each side of a rib 67 which serves to hold both coins. Rib 67 accordingly includes projections which extend outwardly in opposite directions from both sides of the rib.

As shown in FIGURE 9, a similar coin tray may be constructed using fixed, toothed sidewalls 71, 72, 73 and 74, which are spaced farther apart. In this case, a resilient rib of the type shown at 80, which is provided with six outwardly extending projections instead of four, may be employed to hold up to three coins as illustrated by the coins 81, 82 and 83.

The coin display trays shown in FIGURES 7 through 10 may be employed in conjunction with .a transparent lid or cover (not shown); although such a lid is not necessary to secure the coins, even though the tray may be turned upside down, because the bowed, resilient ribs hold the coins against movement in all directions.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for securely retaining at least one coin by edgewise applied pressure comprising, in combination,

.a rigid plate,

a pair of substantially parallel side walls fixedly mounted on said plate and bounding a coin holding area of said plate on two sides,

a plurality of recessed apertures distributed at spaced intervals along each of said side walls,

at least one movable, elongated, resilient, transverse rib, the two ends of said rib being adapted for selective insertion into said apertures such that said rib, even when bowed to apply edgewise pressure on a coin, spans the distance between said Walls to define a remaining side of said coin holding area, said resilient rib being adapted to be bowed outwardly away from said coin holding area to permit said coin to be placed in said coin holding area, and

at least two spaced apart projections aifixed to said rib and extending into said coin holding area to engage with the edge of the coin and retain said coin against movement, said projections being forced against said coin by the spring action of said resilient rib.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coin holding area of said rigid plate is transparent.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 including at least two of said elongated ribs for defining two spaced apart sides of said coin holding area.

4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said apertures are defined by a plurality of teeth distributed along each of said side walls.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 including a transparent cover plate separated from said rigid plate by said side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 200,264 2/1965 Tudor.

2,389,312 11/1945 Honza 206-.82 3,057,459 10/ 1962 Burdick 206.83 2,559,699 7/1951 Bard et a1. 2,884,154 4/1959 Hobson 22022 2,125,856 8/1938 De Witt 220-22 3,051,345 8/1962 Flynn 229-15 XR FOREIGN PATENTS l35,220 11/1933 Austria.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner. 

